Tobes, you better respond to this one! I want some discussion :)
15. Graduation Day Part 1 and 2 (Season Three)
This is the first of two two-parters I included. I know it's kind of like cheating, but not really. They go together, it's just that so much happened, Joss couldn't fit it all into one hour. The mayor is the villain this season and is actually much older than anyone first thought. He is waiting for The Ascension, which in the simplest terms possible, means he's going to turn into a really big snake. He is the guest speaker at Buffy's and Company's graduation ceremony, where he will actually turn into the snake. This episode is important, especially considering what had happened in the previous episode, 'The Prom'. Buffy had received an award called 'Class Protector' where basically the rest of the senior class acknowledged that their school there town was not like anywhere else in the world and that strange things happened, but somehow Buffy was always there at the right time to save them. Well, at graduation everyone pretty much got the chance to thank her. The class banded together and fought off Mayor McSnake and his army of vampires and though there were a few casualties of interest (Larry and Harmony mainly, though the mayor ended up snacking on Principal Snyder which was fun) Buffy led Mayor McSnake into the library which was set with dynamite, thus blowing the snake and the school to pieces. It was very fitting that at the end of high school Buffy blows up the library, which was always the center of operations every time some big bad evil came to town and they had to figure out how to stop it. A little sad, but also necessary. It was also sad in that Angel decided it was time to leave so Buffy could try to have a normal life, without him. This is mostly due to her mother, who I have never liked, but also the fact that Joss Whedon gave David Boreanaz his own show. There were quite a few crossover episodes though, so that made me happy.
14. Amends (Season Three)
I really must love the flashback episodes, because this is the first of a couple on the list that deal with Angel's past. Angel has only recently returned from whatever Hell dimension he was in and is wondering who or what brought him back to Earth. He keeps seeing ghosts of his past victims, including Ms. Calendar. What he and the rest of the gang doesn't know is that they are not really the ghosts of his victims, but The First (the very first evil ever, the most baddest of all the baddies, the thing that made it possible for all the other evil things in Sunnydale to exist) pretending in order to make him crazy. Angel decides he must kill himself because The First claims to have brought him back, so that must mean The First wants to use him in some plot. He goes outside to wait for the sun to rise, and he and Buffy have a huge fight. Finally they realize the sun is not rising when they look up to see snowflakes falling - yes, in southern California. He takes that as a sign that maybe it wasn't The First afterall, that he can still do good yet, and decides to not end his life. The First will appear as the final villain in season seven, I always wondered if Joss did that on purpose or if he just lucked out and was able to use The First again. Hmm...
13. Chosen (Season Seven)
This is the series finale, thus securing it a place on the list, even if only for token purposes. No, really, it was definitely worthy of being on the list, and there was no other way to really end such an amazing series. Instead of waiting to be picked off one at a time, Buffy and all the Potentials (girls who have not yet been called as the Slayer because Buffy and Faith are still alive, but could be should Faith die. Also, I am not sure that if Buffy died, a new Slayer would be called. See, she died in season one when she drowned, though Xander revived her. Thus, Kendra was called. Kendra was killed by Drusilla in 'Becoming', then Faith was called. When Buffy died for real in season five, there was no new appearance by another Slayer, so I think technically as far as the line of Slayers is concerned, Buffy is dead. However, it has occurred to me I have thought way too much about this, so I will get back to what actually is relevant to this episode) take the fight directly to the Hellmouth. They open it up and all these crazy uber vamps come out and there's a huge battle. Lucky for us, some of the really annoying Potentials die. In the end, very few people actually live. Giles, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Faith, Principal Wood and Dawn make it out as well as a few of the Potentials who were a bit more developed throughout the season. Sadly, Anya and Spike both died, though Spike comes back on 'Angel', first as a ghost, then eventually he becomes real again. At the end of the episode the town of Sunnydale has sunk into the ground and all that's left is giant crater of the town we knew for the last seven years. Buffy is standing on the edge, surrounded by her friends, a smile on her face. She finally won, once and for all. And with all the Potentials around, she may be able to retire as Slayer afterall, something she pretty much wanted since season one.
12. The Pack (Season One)
This is the only episode I have included from the first season for two reasons: 1) Buffy came on as a mid-season replacement and thus there were only 12 in the first round and 2) Honestly, as much as I love the show, the first season just was not that great. A few episodes into season two they really found their stride, but before that, the quality just wasn't as high. Anyway, I love this episode. We get to see Xander as a baddie, which is interesting. Anyway, the gist of the episode is that, while at the zoo, Xander and a couple of the school bullies are possessed by hyenas and start acting like them. They eat the school mascot (a live pig), then the others end up eating their principal, Mr. Flutie, when he calls them into his office. Luckily, Xander was not involved in this, he was too busy going after Buffy. Eventually they figure out the zookeeper is the baddie, and he was trying to become Hyena Man, but they fight him, he ends up being possessed, and then the hyenas eat him. Pretty much, everyone gets what they deserve in the end and everything goes back to normal. Xander does, however, pretend he doesn't remember what happened because he is so embarrassed, though it comes up again in later episodes and the girls figure out he does, in fact, remember.
11. The Gift (Season Five)
Big news: Buffy dies. And she does for real this time, grave, headstone, friends crying, the whole nine yards. Her sister Dawn is not actually her sister at all, but is The Key, which this god Glory wants to use to open a Hell dimension. These monks who were in charge of The Key created Dawn from Buffy because they knew only Buffy would be able to protect it from a god, and they also knew that Buffy would never let anything happen to her 'sister'. Glory eventually found out Dawn was The Key and used her blood to open the other dimension. At the last second Buffy saves Dawn and throws herself into the portal instead, stopping the two worlds from bleeding into each other - because Dawn was created from Buffy, they shared the same blood, therefore Buffy could also close the other dimension also. At the very end of the episode we see Buffy's dead body, everyone is crying, including Spike, and Dawn is now human. The last scene of the episode is a shot of Buffy's headstone which reads:
Buffy Anne Summers
Beloved sister
Devoted friend
She saved the world a lot
10. I Was Made to Love You (Season Five)
Strangely enough, one of the best episodes of the season had nothing to do with the overall arc of the storyline, but was just a sub story that only lasted for one episode - for this season anyway. Basically this guy named Warren could never get a date so he created a robot to be his girlfriend and she was very real and lifelike and no one knew she was a robot for a long time. When Warren finally found a real human girlfriend at college, he ditched the robot. Unfortunately she was programmed pretty much to love him forever and follow him wherever she went, so she showed up in Sunnydale looking for him. This causes a lot of problems because she's got guys hitting on her, and Warren's current girlfriend freaking out, and all kinds of badness. Eventually her battery wears down and she essentially "dies" and the end is actually quite touching. This episode sets up season six well because 1) when Buffy dies at the end of season five, they create a Buffy-bot so the vampires and demons don't know she died and wreck havoc on the town, and 2) We get to know Warren, who becomes the main villain later in season six. Joss does a good job of setting up future storylines, I love when random characters reappear and take on bigger roles,it makes things interesting.
9. Becoming Part 1 and 2 (Season Two)
I am counting these two together and that's not really cheating since they are parts of a whole. These episodes are AWESOME. In the two part season finale, we get to see so much of Angel's past and how things transpired the way they did. We get to see so much of his history, how he became a vampire, when he killed the gypsy girl, when he got his soul back, how he came to Sunnydale, it's all here. Spike comes to Buffy and offers his help, because he is tired of Drusilla being all over Angel all the time. Also, he is not too keen on Angel's plan to end the world because as Spike puts it, people are like, "Happy Meals with legs" and he rather likes the world just the way it is. Angel is planning to use the demon Acathla to open up the portal to the hell dimensions. The neat thing about this guy, this demon is made of stone, once the sword is removed from the stone, his mouth opens, wackiness ensues. The only way to close the portal before Hell comes to Earth is the blood of the one who opened the portal in the first place. You guessed it, (or maybe not, since most of my friends don't actually watch the show) Angel's blood opens the portal, thus only Angel's blood can close it. Meanwhile, Willow found the disc that contained the spell to restore Angel's soul, only she is too late. Angel's has removed the sword from the demon. As the portal is opening, his soul is restored and Buffy now must kill him again. It's a very sad ending definitely - Buffy kisses a now soul-having Angle, tells him she loves him, then stabs him with the sword and sends him to Hell. She then disappears from Sunnydale without telling anyone what happened, having to live with the fact that now twice she has had to say goodbye to Angel, this time for good (except we know he's not gone for good, since he eventually gets his own show. Buffy just doesn't know that yet. Duh.)
8. Passion (Season Two)
We really get to see how bad Angel truly is in this episode. We found out in an earlier episode that the first time Angel was evil, he killed the daughter of a gypsy, and thus they cursed him with a soul so he would remember all the evil things he'd done for the rest of his life. being a vampire and immortal, that would be a pretty long life. Anyway, we also found out that Ms. Calendar is a descendant of the gypsy girl he killed and belongs to that clan, and she was sent to Sunnydale to watch Angel and ensure that he was still cursed. To make things right with Buffy and Giles and to make up for keeping this secret from them, Ms. Calendar is working on trying to decipher the old text and to perform the spell again so Angel would regain his soul. She discovers it finally, but sadly this is also the last episode Ms. Calendar appears in, as Angel kills her before she can tell anyone. After Ms. Calendar is buried, Buffy is finally ready for what's coming: a fight to the death with Angel.
7. Grave (Season Six)
This was the season finale and the only episode I chose to include from six. Overall, this was my least favorite season. It was still a great season, because they're all at least good, but it just seemed to lack direction. Part of it might have been that this was the first time that the main villains were humans instead of something supernatural, although at the very end of the season Willow becomes the villain, and though she is human, she turns into Bad Witch and kills people. Well, she kills Warren, but he killed Tara, so it works out. Anyway, what makes this episode list-worthy is that this time, it is Xander who saves the world from total destruction, not Buffy. Willow is in so much pain over losing Tara, she goes bad and in a nutshell, decides to destroy the world because what's the point of having a world where there is so much pain and suffering. Xander is able to finally talk her out of it and the old Willow returns, thus the apocalypse is thwarted once again.
6. The Wish (Season Three)
Cordelia makes a wish after her injury, and it comes true when granted by Anyanka, a vengeance demon (though once she loses her power she becomes Anya, a human high school-age girl and sticks around for the rest of the series). Cordy wishes Buffy had never come to Sunnydale, thinking all her problems (i.e. falling for Xander) would be solved. Instead, what she gets is a Sunnydale completely controlled by vampires at night. Because the town is so overrun and afraid, curfews are imposed by humans, monthly memorials are held at school for dead students, there are no longer school dances but school 'brunches', students aren't allowed to drive cars, no one wears bright colored clothing, etc. It is such a well-written episode, and we get a chance to see what Sunnydale would be like without the Buffster. Pretty much, it sucks. Xander and Willow are vampires, The Master is in charge and ends up killing Buffy when she shows up, Xander stakes Angel - who was held prisoner and tortured by Willow, and Xander and Willow kill Cordelia. It's a horrible world and I am very thankful Buffy showed up in Sunnydale. Luckily, once the spell is broken, none of the gang remembers their doppelgangers or the world that could have been.
5. Earshot (Season Three)
This episode didn't actually air during season 3, but aired the following September just prior to season four starting. The reason for this is because this show was scheduled to air following what had happened at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Out of respect for that and the families of the victims, Joss and Co. decided to hold this episode because it dealt with much the same issue. Buffy is fighting these weird-looking demon guys and when she kills one, part of it absorbs into her skin and she ends up being able to hear others' thoughts. It gets to the point that she is hearing so much at once, it starts to give her headaches and make her crazy. One thing Buffy overhears while in the cafeteria is someone saying they want to kill everyone at school. When the cure is found and Buffy no longer has the ability to hear the thoughts of others, the Scooby Gang has to find the person who is plotting to kill students at school. Buffy mistakenly thinks it is Jonathan, a recurring character on the show, when she sees him in the clock tower with a gun. When she confronts him, he says he actually went up there to kill himself, and it turns out Xander discovers the would-be killer as a disgruntled lunch lady who it putting rat poison in the food.
4. The Body (Season Five)
This wasn't necessarily one of my favorite episodes but I still think it is a pretty important one. Joyce, Buffy's mother, is the first character to die from something non-demon related. In every season, any major/recurring (and of course all the non-major ones) character who has died has always been from something demon-related. Buffy herself drowned in season one after being bitten by The Master; The first principal, Mr. Flutie, was eaten by some kids possessed by hyenas in season one (Xander had nothing to do with that, thank goodness) ; Ms. Calendar died when Angel broke her neck in season two; numerous recurring characters (Harmony, Larry, Principal Snyder, etc) died during the graduation ceremony in season three when the mayor turned into a big snake and started eating people; Anya died in the final battle in the series finale with the uber vampires...the list goes on. But still, Joyce is the only character who's death was natural, if a brain tumor can ever be 'natural' but you know what I mean. Basically, not only do the characters have to deal with the fact that they've lost love ones due to vampires, werewolves, demons, monsters, etc, but they also have to deal with the same things as regular, everyday people too.
3. I Only Have Eyes For You (Season Two)
One of the best episodes ever and also one of my most favorites. We find out a lot of stuff about several characters in this episode, but that's not the only thing that makes it so great. In 1955 a teacher and student were having an affair. The teacher tried to end it, but the student shot her, then shot himself the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance. Now, his spirit has returned and is trying to make it right by possessing people and re-enacting the night where he killed his teacher. Unfortunately it always ends the same way: the people who are possessed always end up being killed, because that's the way it happened originally. But when Buffy ends up at the school alone with Angle, things go differently. Instead of being possessed by the teacher, Buffy is possessed by the boy, and Angel is possessed by the teacher. They do a pretty good job with the gender role-reversal and in interviews Joss Whedon has always said that this was the episode where he knew David Boreanaz (Angel) could carry his own show (which he does after season three of Buffy ends). Anyway, Buffy and Angle re-enact the whole scene again, with Buffy shooting Angel and going to the music room to shoot herself. Before she can though, Angel stops her (remember kids, bullets can't kill vampires). Finally, after all these years, Miss Newman is able to forgive James for killing her, and in a way Angel is telling Buffy that it's not her fault he lost his soul, even though she blames herself. The whole episode deals with Buffy not being able to forgive herself for that, which is why she is so quick to say James needs to be punished for what he did when he killed the one he supposedly loved. Aside from Buffy and her non-forgiveness issue, we also find out: 1) Giles is still way not over Ms. Calendar's death, and at first he even believes she is the one haunting the school 2) Principal Snyder is more evil than we thought - he mentions at one point that Sunnydale is on a Hellmouth, something no one outside Buffy and the gan supposedly know, and the mayor is mentioned also, thus setting up season three quite nicely and subtly, and 3) we also find out Spike is not so wheelchair bound as we first thought, when alone, at the end of the episode, he stands up and kicks the wheelchair aside. This is significant later when he actually quasi-teams with Buffy to defeat Angel at the end of the season.
2. Once More, With Feeling (Season Six)
More often known as "The Buffy Musical." Everyone in town randomly breaks out into song and dance, complete with dance routines and everything. At first it all seems harmless, until one guy can't stop dances and pretty much starts on fire because he's dancing so fast that he can't stop. The vocals aren't the best, but that's part of the charm and what makes this episode so good - the cast does their own vocals. Joss Whedon is amazing, his writing is just amazing, the way he put the episode together is just awesome. This episode is also important for one major reason: everyone assumed that when Buffy died at the end of season five that she was in Hell. Religion has never played a huge role in the show, and Hell isn't so much considered to be the place where Satan lives, but just another dimension where demons roam and has nothing to do with the Christian view of Heaven and Hell. Since demons and Hell are pretty much all the gang has ever dealt with, they assumed that's where Buffy was after she died. It is during one of the final songs that Buffy admits she was in Heaven, thus everyone realizes that when they brought her back to Earth, they didn't really save her at all, that they pulled her out of the only peace she'd ever known since becoming The Slayer. Kinda a bummer, but a great episode.
1. Hush (Season Five)
Quite possibly one of the best episodes of any television show ever. The episode was nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Writing, pretty fucking cool, considering that the majority of the episode was SILENT. Basically, this group of baddies called The Gentlemen come to town and release this thing that steals the ability to speak from everyone in town. One of the best parts is this creepy little girl in the beginning singing this song: "Can't even shout, can't even cry, The Gentlemen are coming by, looking in windows, knocking on doors, they need to take seven and they might take yours, can't call for Mom, can't say a word, you're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard". The human voice is fatal to them, thus why they silence the town. Anyway, wackiness ensues, Buffy finally gets her voice back, and screams bloody murder. The Gentlemens' heads explode, and all is right in Sunnydale once again.
There you have it my Top Ten (Plus Five) list of Buffy episodes. Tobes will probably be the only one to comment, but oh well, it's my blog and I do what I want.
10 comments:
I LOVE IT!!! You have made me want to dig out my dvd's and watch for hours on end! They only one I'm not on board with is "the pack" -- that one weirded me out with the teenagers who were animals thing and the eating of the principal... and you're right, season 1, not so good. We're very lucky Buffy was never cancelled. A great replacement would an episode from season 5, i think, can't recall the title... We see the flashbacks of Spike --- where Drusilla sires him (we learn Spike was a big romantic nerdo who wrote terrible poetry) and see him kill the other two slayers. We also see there how real his love for Buffy is-- even though he has no soul. At the end when she says "you're beneath me" and throws the money at him, and he begins to cry, I lose it every time. The look of agony on his face is heartbreaking.
Also I think the Body is one of my fave episodes, every time Anya gives her speech about not understanding death, I get tears.
Awesome list. I think I have been inspired to try and make some "fave Angel episode" list
Fool for love-- that's the episode I was trying to think of...
http://www.buffyguide.com/episodes/fool.shtml
I do agree, "Fool For Love" was a great episode. I always want to give Spike a hug when they talk about how bad his poetry is, he was such a sweetheart and his mother was such a wench after she turned into a vampire. I love Spike almost as much as I love Angel, but it's strange: I love good Spike better than bad Spike, and bad Angel a little bit more than good Angel.
I still love 'The Pack' though, not gonna lie. Seeing Xander as a potential baddie (though we get to see it again in 'The Wish') was just delicious. I also felt bad that they killed of Principal Flutie in such an icky way though, aside from the science teacher who was killed by the praying mantis lady, he was really the only person who gave Buffy a chance - she never had a shot once Principal Snyder came in.
I am not a big fan of 'The Body' though, and I think a big part of that is because I never really liked Joyce, thus I never really cared if her character lived or died. I do agree though, the part where Anya goes on about how she doesn't understand is very touching and makes me shed a tear or two.
I started with season one and I am watching them all again - I have already watched Friends and The OC about a billion times, I need something new now. I am on seaon three, up to 'Beauty and the Beasts' which I am about to start right now. I can't believe how much the show changed just from season one to seaon two. it's like, after they figured out what they were doing, the whole tone of the show seemed to change, the cinematography got better, even the acting got better, thank goodness! There were a few times during season one where I cringe, but still, I love it.
Another episode thought about putting on here was 'Lover's Walk' from season three, when Spike returns to Sunnydale to do the spell to get Drusilla back. One of the best lines from the entire series is his speech to Buff and Angel: "You're not friends, you'll never be friends. You'll be in love til it kills you both. You'll fight and you'll shag and you'll hate each other til it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends." There's more, but then I though about how it is kind of sad I knew that from memory, but it's seriously one of my favorite lines. Also, a tad fitting for real life, especially the 'you'll never be friends' part. *Sigh* Man, I love this show.
I know I keep posting on my own blog, but I'm watching 'The Wish' now, and I always wondered how The Master rose if Buffy was never there, because he clearly says in the season one finale that it's her who sets him free. Oh Joss Whedon, sometimes you confuse me.
Yeah Joss Whedon, he's a tricky one. I think he foolishly things we Buffy-fanatics don't pay attention to every detail in the series and thus we'll never catch him in a mistake. It's like the whole who sired who thing. When Spike originally shows up he says that Angel is his sire, but clearly it's Drusilla, so Angel is his grand-sire.. ugh. But then again, In Whedon-verse Buffy can die over and over again and come back with hardly any side effects :)
Yes Lover's Walk-- love it. And that speech. Another fave episode of mine was the Thanksgiving one. Some of my fave lines were when Spike goes, "You made a Bear. UNDO IT!" The whole debate about how to handle the Indian spirits is funny too and how Spike goes off about how you came in and wiped them out don't feel bad. It's horribly not p.c. but so funny and true... I need a buffy fix.
PS: I think the Pack is one of the better episodes in season 1 for sure. And bad Xander is sexy. Bad Angel is very sexy, so is Spike... all the guys on that show are hot.... yep, I def. need to go watch Buffy!
'Pangs' is a good one. Plus, on the crossover episode with 'Angel' and Buffy goes to LA to yell at him, way hott. It always makes me sad though, because you knew they wouldn't ever get to be together. I love that part too, when Spike is talking about conquering nations and stuff, but once the arros start flying he's hopping around in his chair, classic.
I forgot how good 'Helpless' is too, the one about Buffy's 18th birthday, and 'Choices' and 'The Prom'. *Sigh* Maybe I should have ranked the entire series, haha. Just kidding, I think I'll stand by my fifteen :)
Ugh, yeah ranking the series would just suck. We could do a baddie ranking. Like the best of the villains. I'm always torn on Glory. She's so bad and a God-- whoa but she was so valley girl annoying. The Mayor was probably my favorite. Right on with the prom episode and all that...
Crossover episodes are the best. One of the episodes that made my cry buckets was the one where Buffy goes to LA and Angel becomes human but gives it all up at the end and turns back time... sob, sob SOB
I loved the mayor too! In terms of baddies, he's among my most favorites. He was a likable villain, even though you knew he wanted to eat everyone. I like Spike much better from season three on, and his vamp features changed a lot too, from season two to season three they were much more harsh almost, I can't really describe it. The Master was interesting, being the oldest vampire like, ever. As always, Angeles...YUM. I really liked the idea of The First, it was a good way for the series to end. Having human villains in season six was so different, I think that's also why it was one of my least favorites - Jonathan died :(
That episode also makes me cry, especially when at the end she's saying that those last minutes weren't enough time. *sigh*.
Yes, When she talks about it's not enough time and promises not to forget, I start to sob... ugh.
Yes Spike and Angel-- best villains. I thought it was hilarious when Spike got the chip and tried to bite Willow and was all perplexed when he couldn't-- he was like, "I'm only 137 years old" or something like that and Willow, being all nice, is saying "We can try again later" then she says "or..." then hits him with the lamp. Classic.
Yeah, Mayor was loveable because of his devotion to Faith I thought. The first was good. The master was good-- I loved the comment about how he had kool-aid mouth.
Ahh, I love Buffy
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